October 19, 2025 - Last week's price shift into high season gear was driven in part by the Columbus Day holiday that is a seasonal landmark for travel to Maui. This weeks prices are mixed with some vehicles up and others down, but overall prices remain at a premium level characteristic of high season. The cheapest car from Maui's Kahului Airport was $377/week with all taxes and fees included, up 10% from last week, and Jeeps were also up, by 13%, but all other categories saw declines. Convertibles, that had surged over the past few weeks, gave up the most ground, down 61% from last week, to a still substantial $743/week - that's more than $100/day. Going forward, prices are expected to subside even further, before they rise again for the Thanksgiving holiday. Continue reading for all the details.

Fig. 1. Rental car prices in Maui surged upward in October 2025,.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RENT A CAR IN MAUI ON OCTOBER 20, 2025?

Every week, we list the lowest advertised prices for a one-week car rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), for a selection of vehicle categories, with the change from the previous week, and the company offering the best price. This is our overview of Maui car rental prices for the week of October 13, 2025.

Category Price Change Company

Economy $377 +10% Thrifty

Midsize $432 -20% Thrifty

Jeep $804 +13% Budget

Convertbl $743 -61% Payless

SUV $690 -44% Alamo

7 St SUV $1,115 -33% Dollar

Minivan $656 +2% Alamo

For the week of Monday 10/20/2025, the cheapest rental car from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) is $377/week for one week from Thrifty- that's 10% more than last week. The lowest price for a midsize car is down 20% to $432/week, also from Hertz. Jeeps rose again this week, by 13%, to $804/week, from Budget. Convertibles, that had surged in the last few weeks, were down by a substantial 61%$ to $743/week, from Payless. The price for the cheapest SUV fell 44% to $690/week, from Alamo. 7-seat SUV's were also down, by 33%, to $1,115/week, from Budget. Minivans changed only 2%, rising to $656/week, from Budget. All prices quoted here include all applicable taxes and fees.

Fig. 2. Comparison of current rental prices to the 52-week median for various car types in Maui, with current premium or discount to median.

HOW DO THIS WEEK'S PRICES COMPARE TO THE 52-WEEK MEDIAN PRICE?

We can gain some insight into the current market conditions by comparing the current price in each vehicle category to its median price over the last 52 weeks.

Vehicle Price Median Premium/Discount

Economy $377 $269 40%

Midsize $432 $340 27%

Jeep $804 $569 41%

Convertbl $743 $631 18%

SUV $690 $457 51%

7 st SUV $1,115 $616 81%

Minivan $656 $678 -3%

This week, prices in nearly every vehicle category are at a substantial premium to their median price for the last 52 weeks. This is an indication of high season pricing. For most vehicles the premiums range between about 20% and 50% over the median. This week's prices are about the same as this July's peak summer season prices, and also about the same as the winter high season prices of January and February.

Two exceptions to the overall pricing trend: The first, 7-seat SUV's, a volatile category, is currently priced at an 81% premium. The other, minivans, is currently at a 3% discount from the 52-week median - however the median price for this category was pushed up by a mid-summer shortage that lasted several weeks, caused by a safety recall on the most widespread minivan models in rental fleets, leading to unusually elevated prices over a long period. More on this below, where we see that the price of minivans is actually substantially higher than it was one year ago.

This week's pricing levels give a solid confirmation of the transition from late summer shoulder season into busy fall travel season, that we've documented over the last few weeks.

Fig. 3. Maui car rental prices for multiple vehicle types: current vs. one year ago, with % change.

HOW DO PRICES COMPARE TO ONE YEAR AGO?

We can gain even more insight by comparing today's prices in every vehicle category to the prices from exactly one year ago. The price movements over the last year are illustrated in Figure 1, and today's prices are compared with the prices of one year ago in Figure 3.

Vehicle Now Last Year Change
Economy $377 $392 -4%

Midsize $432 $450 -4%

Jeep $804 $599 34%

Convertbl $743 $922 -19%

SUV $690 $552 25%

7 st SUV $1,115 $578 93%

Minivan $656 $364 80%

This week's price movement is showing a multi-tiered price structure. Economy/compact and midsize cars are just slightly cheaper than last year at this time. Jeeps and regular SUV's are 34% and 25% higher, respectively. Minivans and 7-seat SUV's are significantly higher than one year ago, possibly showing a hang-over effect from this summer's minivan shortage. And convertibles are 19% cheaper than they were a year ago. .

Figure 4. Maui car rental prices for economy/compact cars - last 13 months plus five-week forecast.

MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICE FORECAST FOR OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2025

As of today, October 19, 2025, the lowest advertised prices for a one week rental made in advance, both from the airport rentals and off-airport, are as follows for the future dates shown:

DATE OFF-OGG OGG

10/20/25 $201 $377

10/27/25 $165 $217

11/03/25 $187 $289

11/10/25 $200 $247

11/17/25 $169 $238

11/25/25 $305 $224

These advance reservation prices, marked as "Forecast," are illustrated in the area highlighted in Figure 4, which also shows the lowest price evolution over the last 13 months.

Figure 5. Average car rental costs in Maui from 2013 to 2018 show significant fluctuations, with a notable spikes in late December and mid-February, and a marked increase during the next five-week period highlighted in red.

According to the online reservation systems, future prices are expected to decline from their current levels, before they rise again in time for the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November. However, there are hints of a roller-coaster pattern emerging as we progress through what remains of October and into November. This is strikingly similar to the roller-coaster pattern of the fall season last year, also illustrated on the same chart.

Prices may be about to follow last year's fall roller-coaster ride , with unpredictable surges and drops from October through December, leading up to a dramatic Christmas-time surge.

This is in contrast to historical price data, that rise in early October to a steady level they maintain through December, before surging for the Christmas period. This is based on our tracking rental car prices week-by-week for five years from 2013 through 2018. The five-year average prices showing the seasonal variation throughout a year are illustrated in the price chart in Figure 5.

Is a fall roller-coaster the new normal? What factors could be driving this unusual price pattern? These are open questions with no definitive answers at this time.

Figure 6. Price trends for a one-week car rental in Maui from December 2024 to August 2025 show variations based on booking timings: one day, one week, and five weeks in advance.

IS IT CHEAPER TO BOOK IN ADVANCE VS LAST MINUTE?

In mid-December of 2024, we began to track the movement of advance booking prices as the reservation date approaches. Every week, we check the price one week out, two weeks out, three weeks out, up to five weeks out, and save the numbers for comparison.

Beginning in mid-February of this year, the prices available one day in advance and one week in advance have been consistently lower than the price five weeks in advance (see figure 6) - these last-minute prices are generally lower than advance prices except in periods of very heavy demand driven by peak travel holidays.

A significant change has just come about: This week, last minute prices are again significantly higher than prices booked in advance, This is the second week-in a row that advance bookings are significantly cheaper than last-minute. This is a marked change from the pattern of advance prices versus last minute prices, with last minute prices lower, that we had seen from mid-February until two weeks ago. This pattern seems to confirm the Columbus Day holiday as a significant marker of seasonality in Maui rental car pricing.

Fig. 7. The cost for tomorrow's rental booked in advance has increased as the rental date approaches, both for airport rentals and off-airport rentals. .

HOW HAVE PRICE CHANGED FOR TOMORROW'S RENTAL?

The progression of advance reservation prices for a one week rental starting tomorrow, October 20, is illustrated in the price chart in Figure 7.

Off-OGG OGG Days in Advance

$201.00 $377.00 1 (last-minute)

$239.00 $270.00 8 (one week)

$165.00 $239.00 15 (two weeks)

$165.00 $241.00 22 (three weeks)

$165.00 $223.00 29 (four weeks)

$177.00 $235.00 36 (five weeks)

The price for a rental from the airport starting tomorrow had been increasing steadily over the last three weeks, For off-airport rentals, the cost of tomorrow's rental increased by 60% over the last five weeks. The cost of a rental off-airport was headed on a similar trajectory - last week the price had increased by 35% - but due to a pull-back in the last week, today's price is only 14% higher than the five-week advance price.

Travelers who booked in advance saved money over those who waited to book closer to their travel date. However in the advance data we are seeing hints that, with the Columbus Day rush behind us in the rearview mirror, the advance curve is flattening, i.e. last minute prices over the next few weeks may not be so dramatically higher - they may even be lower - than the advance prices.

The reversal of last-minute costs versus advance reservation costs is typical of high-season pricing levels. Typically this reversal is short-lived and returns to the more frequent pattern of cheaper last-minute prices that holds through more than 80% of the year. .

SUMMARY OF THIS WEEK'S MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICING ACTION

As of October 19, 2025, e can confirm that Maui car rental prices have definitely shifted into high season gear. This increase is typical as the fall travel season begins, with long weekend of the Columbus Day holiday as a marker. Prices are now at high season levels comparable to the summer high season and the winter high season (excluding the holidays). The increase took place over the course of the last three weeks. Confirming this transition, last-minute prices are still higher than advance prices. Advance reservation systems are showing the possibility of some price volatility, with prices softening then rising again in the next few weeks, which would be consistent with the roller-coaster of prices throughout last year's fall season. Which way will prices go this fall? Our predictive bias is favoring volatility, as it has been a feature of prices in the most recent era post-covid and post-Lahaina wildfire. So we advise readers to buckle up for an exciting roller-coaster ride.

Fig. 7. Price of one-week car rental in Maui, comparing off-airport locations with airport locations for popular vehicle types.

DOES IT COST LESS TO RENT OFF-AIRPORT?

The airport vs. off-airport prices for this week are illustrated in Figure 7.

By conventional wisdom, airport prices are expected to be higher than off-airport prices due to higher airport taxes and fees and a convenience premium. 

This week, off-airport prices are lower than the airport in only two categories, economy/compact cars, and minivans. For Jeep and SUV's, off-airport prices are higher than airport prices. For convertibles and 7-seat SUV's, no off-airport availability is reported at any location.

These prices are from our survey taken on 10/19/25, for a one-week rental from Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG), beginning on Monday, 10/20/25, for seven vehicle categories, Economy/compact Car, Midsize Car, Convertible, Jeep, SUV, 7-passenger SUV, and Minivan. The rental companies covered in the survey are Ace, Alamo, Allsave, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, NU, Payless, SiXT, and Thrifty. For more info on the companies we cover, see our blog post on customer satisfaction ratings for these Maui car rental companies. 

This week's airport vs. off-airport picture is consistent with the long term picture we've observed over the past year. More details on this below.

Fig. 8. Airport vs. off-airport car rental prices in Maui for various vehicle types, with percentage difference between the two.

LONG-TERM ANALYSIS OF AIRPORT VERSUS OFF-AIRPORT PRICES

Note: This is a preview of an analysis that will be presented in more detail in another separate article.

We have completed a long-term comparison of airport prices versus off-airport prices. In every vehicle category, we've compared the the median price over 52-weeks for vehicles rented at the airport to vehicles rented off-airport. The most striking finding of this analysis is that the difference between airport prices and off-airport prices is not consistent over all vehicle types - it varies widely between different vehicles. For economy/compact, regular SUV, and minivan, the off-airport prices is lower, as one would expect. However, for mid-size cars, the price is about the same. And For Jeeps, Convertibles, and 7-seat SUV's. the airport price is lower!

OGG Off-OGG Savings/Premium

Economy $269 $213 +21%

Midsize $340 $332 +2%

Jeep $569 $652 -14%

Convertbl $631 $715 -13%

SUV $457 $370 +19%

7 st SUV $616 $857 -39%

Minivan $678 $476 +30%

As can be seen from the chart in Figure 8 and the accompanying table, on average over the course of the last 52 weeks from October 19, 2024 to October 20, 2025, the price of a compact car off-airport is 21% less than the airport price. For a regular SUV you save 19% off-airport. For a minivan, the savings is 30%. For a mid-size car, renting off-airport saved only 2% on average over the last 52 weeks. But for a convertible, it cost 13% more to rent off-airport, A Jeep cost 14% more off-airport. And for a 7-seat SUV, the off-airport cost is 39% higher. Note that for these three categories, Jeep, convertible, and 7-seat SUV, it is frequently the case that there is no off-airport availability at all. making the airport cost the only option.

IS MAUI THE MOST EXPENSIVE HAWAIIAN ISLAND FOR CAR RENTAL?

Here's a quick survey of the cheapest one-week rental cost from each of the five major Hawaii airports, for a rental beginning on Monday, October 20.

COST CHANGE AIRPORT

$248 0% Honolulu (HNL)

$247 -8% Maui Kahului Airport (OGG)

$401 -15% Kauai Lihue Airport (LIH)

$472 79% Kona Airport (KOA)

$248 0% Hilo Airport (ITO)

This week prices for car rentals at the major airports in Hawaii are mixed, with little or no change in Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and Hilo, but a huge increase in Kona. ith these price movements, Maui regains its position as the cheapest Hawaii destination for renting a car, that it has held for 22 out of the last 28 weeks, while coming in second cheapest for the other six.

HOW DO WE GET OUR MAUI CAR RENTAL PRICE DATA?

Prices for Maui car rentals vary from week to week, and the company offering the lowest price also changes from week to week. Furthermore, one company may be offering the lowest price in one vehicle category, for example mid-size cars, while a different company has a better price on another category, for example mini-vans.

Beginning in July 2024, we've tracked the prices on seven vehicle categories - compact, mid-size, Jeep, convertible, SUV, 7-seat SUV, and minivan - from 10 different companies at Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG): Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, SiXT, and Thrifty. Each week, for every vehicle type, we noted which company offered the lowest price. Our weekly price-tracking for the lowest price economy car category goes back to July 2023 - more than one year. These are the data for the charts we post every week.

Previously we conducted a five-year price-tracking study for the lowest price economy car category beginning in February 2013 and continuing to February 2018. A sample of these results is in Figure 3, that shows the five-year average of the price over a one-year duration. For details of this massive price-tracking undertaking, and the most important findings on how and when to rent a car, see our blog post of July 14, 2024 titled "When is the best time to rent a car in Maui?" 

HOW TO CHECK RATES AND AVAILABILITY FOR MAUI CAR RENTAL

Either click through to to our Cars & Rates section, or check our booking site at rentals.mauicarrental.biz. This site gives you access to all vehicles from eight different companies - Ace, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Payless, and Thrifty - at all their Maui locations, that include the Airport rentacar center, Kahului town locations nearby the airport, and resort locations in Kihei/Wailea, and Ka'anapali. With so many options to choose from, you are assured to find the rental car that matches your preferences and your budget for your Maui trip - and there is never a cancellation penalty if you have to change plans.

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Frank Saab is the editor of this blog published by Frank's Friendly Cars Maui Car Rental LLC, an independent car rental company operating in Maui, Hawaii, since 2006. Frank's offers low prices on used local cars and discount prices on new cars, with a "Lowest Price Guarantee" that assures you of getting the best deal on your rental. Visit our website at www.mauicarrental.biz, or call us at 808-280-1196.

Price Data Sources: rentalcars.com, rentals.mauicarrental.biz